Refrigerating apparatus



April 1939- L. A PHILIPP 2,155,059

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Original Filed July 30, 1954 INVENTOR. .50 p mp/m 4. P/I/LIPP 3 fI/i- BY ATTORNEY.

closure! which is suspended by suitable brackets Patented Apr. 18, 1939 'UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS land Application July 30, 1934, Serial No. 737,538 Renewed April 27, 1937 2 Claims.

My invention pertains to a two-temperature refrigerator and more particularly to a nonfrosting structure for use with a two-temperature refrigerating system.

It is an object of my invention to provide a improved two-temperature non-frosting refrigerator.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a simplified non-frosting refrigerator which is especially adapted for use with a two-temperature refrigerating system.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a two-temperature non-frosting refrigerator comprising a food storage compartment, and a freezing chamber and cooling plate so disposed therein that the airmay circulate-freely around the freezing. chamber and the cooling plate for eificiently and uniformly cooling the compartment, and defrosting the cooling plate between operations.

The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional View showing a refrigerator constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the freezing chamher and the cooling plate assembly;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view schematically representing the cooperative interconnection of the various elements of a two-temperature refrigerating system suitable for use in conjunction with my refrigerator; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view showing the construction of a weight valve, which comprises a suitable pressure reducing device for maintaining a temperature differential between the freezing chamber and the food storage compartment.

Referring more specifically to the drawing my refrigerator comprises a cabinet 2 enclosed by walls of suitable heat insulating construction. The inner and outer surfaces of the cabinet walls are provided with a sheet metal covering 3 having a coat of vitreous enamel such as porcelain to present a pleasing and sanitary appearance.

A freezing chamber is provided within the food storage compartment of the cabinet by an en- 5 from the top wall of the cabinet. The interior of the freezing chamber is cooled by means of horizontally disposed freezing plates I; mounted upon brackets 8 secured to the side walls of the enclosure 4 and whichalso provide shelves upon which trays I may be disposed within the chamber. The freezing plates 1 are spaced from the sidewalls of the enclosure 4, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Each freezing plate may comprise a double walled refrigerant evaporator construction into which refrigerant may be introduced through suitable inlet and outlet conduit connections or, if preferred, the refrigerant conduit may extend in a series of loops through the interior of the freezing plate which may contain a heat transmitting and storing medium such as brine surrounding the conduit, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

A cooling plate II for cooling the food storage compartment is secured adjacent one side of the freezing chamber by suitable brackets l2. The cooling plate It may comprise a heavy plate of heat conductive material to one surface of which a refrigerant conduit is secured in intimate thermal contact in alternate serpentine coils to provide maximum thermal contact with the plate or, if preferred, a double walled evaporator may be used. In order to provide increased thermal coupling with the air in the food storage compartment, the opposite surface of the cooling plate ii is provided with parallel fins iii of heat conductive material. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the fins i5 may be readily provided by securing strips of sheet metal of U-shaped cross section to the plate i i in any suitable manner as by soldering or welding.

The freezing chamber cooling plate assembly comprises suitable conduit means 20 for interconnecting the freezing plates in series relation. The conduit 28 connecting from the freezing plate at one end of the series comprises the outlet connection which extends into a liquid accumulator 22 which is also secured to the assembly by a suitable bracket 23, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The conduit 26 connecting fromv the freezing plate 1, at the opposite end of the series comprises the inlet connection for the freezing plates, and extends into a pressure reducing weight valve 21. A suitable conduit 28 extends from the weight valve to the cooling plate II from which a conduit 29 extends to receive liquid refrigerant from a suitable refrigerating system.

The pressure reducing weight valve 21, which is disposed between the freezing plates and the cooling plates, comprises a valve casing 31 inclosing a valve 32 which is biased by a weight 33 .upon a'cooperative valve seat 34, as shown in Fig. 5. The lower portion of the valve casing is provided with a pipe fitting 35 through which the high pressure refrigerant may pass to the valve seat 34 by means of a channel 36. From the valve chamber an outlet channel 31 extends downwardly to a second pipe fitting 38 through which the pressure reduced refrigerant is discharged. The valve weight 33 is so selected relatively to the area of the valve and the valve seat that it automatically maintains a suitable pressure differential between the respective inlet and outlet conduits 28 and 26.

As shown in Fig. 4, the refrigerant may be condensed by a compressor 4|, driven by an electric motor 42 which is controlled by means of a snap action switch 43 for intermittent operation. The switch may be actuated by a bellows 45 in accordance with the pressure of the suction line 46, or a thermo bulb in the storage compartment, in the usual manner. It will be apparent that the switch 43 may be adapted either to open or to close for any desired pressure variation and the actuating bellows 45 may be operatively connected to either evaporator l or II instead of to the suction line 46.

The compressed refrigerant passes from the compressor 4| through an associated condenser 48 by means of which its latent heat of vaporization is dissipated. Suitable conduit means 49 carries the condensed refrigerant into a high side float chamber 50 which has its outlet connected to the inlet conduit 29 on the cooling plate II.

In operation liquid is fed from the high side float 50 into the tubing of the cooling plate H which is attached to one side of the freezing chamber. After vaporizing under the temperature-pressure condition permitted by the weight valve 21 the liquid and gas refrigerant are fed through the weight valve into the horizontal defrosting during the off period. The enclosure prevents the accumulation of frost on the freezing plates since they are enclosed.

I It will be seen that I have provided a simplified improved two-temperature refrigerator comprising a cool food storage compartment with a cooling plate and a freezing chamber arranged therein to provide for the circulation of air for efilciently cooling the storage compartment and defrosting the cooling plates.

Although I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of my invention, I am fully aware that many modifications thereof are possible. My invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

. 1. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a cabinet, an enclosure exposed to circulating air within said cabinet and enclosing a low temperature zone including a vertical wall position in close proximity to a side wall of the cabinet to provide an air cooling zone, refrigerant evaporating means including a portion positioned in said en closure for maintaining low temperatures in said low temperature zone and a portion positioned outside of said enclosure adjacent said vertical wall and side wall for cooling circulating air to the desired temperature as it passes through said air cooling zone, and means for maintaining a higher temperature in the refrigerant evaporating portion which cools said circulating air. 2. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a cabinet, an enclosure exposed to circulating air within said cabinet including a top, bottom and side walls spaced from the walls of the cabinet and enclosing a low temperature zone and including a wall positioned in close proximity to a wall of the cabinet to provide an air cooling zone, refrigerant evaporating means including a portion positioned in said enclosure for maintaining low temperatures in said low temperature zone and a. portion positioned outside of said enclosure for cooling circulating air to the desired temperature as it passes through said air cooling zone, and means for maintaining a higher temperature in the heat absorbing portion which cools said circulating air.

LAWRENCE A. PHILJPP. 

